Artificial fuel and process of making the same.



UNITED STATES" PATENT onnron.

BLAKE E. GAMBLE, or BowMANsDnLE, PENNSYLVANIA:

AIvrIrIcIAI. FUEL AND rn'ocnss or MAKING THE SAME.

No Drawing.

Specification ofv Letters Patent. I Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

Application me-.1 august 22, 1a12. S erialNo. 716,550RE1ISSUED To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BLAKE E. GAMBLE,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Bowmansdale, in the county of Cumberland.

and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Artificial Fuel and Process of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification. The present invention relates to improvements in artificial fuel and a processof making the same, the'primary object-of the invention being the production of a hard and 'solid water-proof artificial fuel, in which queted fuel. To this end, the following materials are used, that is comminuted coal, either anthraclte, bltumlnous, semi-anthracite, SeIIll-b1tl1II11Il0US, and culms of: any

and all combinations of the above, peat, lig-- nite, or in fact. any combination of these carbonaceous material's. y

It has been found that a slight amount of moisture should beretained inthe carbona-' ceous material, such amount being slightly above the normal moisture retained 'under atmospheric conditions, the same assisting accessible to the locality in which the fuel in the cohesion thereto ofthe firstpr coking binder, which is preferably sulfite liquor neutralized by an alkali, such alkali bein preferably caustic soda; This neutralize liquor is precipitated in any 'well' known process. This binder is thoroughly mixed with the carbonaceous material toindividually coat the granules thereof, and after such coating, the mass is placed in asupe'rheater with the augmenting binder, such as. a mineral pitch, preferably a coal tar pitch, asphaltum, or in fact any product having' the necessary qualities and readily is made.

During the heati g and coating-of the already coated granules, moisture in the form of vapor, steam or sprayed water is pervious binder forthe fuel.

supplied and moisture is to prevent brittleness in the augmenting binder, so that when the final mass is briqueted, a compact hard homogeneous, not too brittle, and yet' impervious fuel is the result.

The preferred amount of the various materials used will vary according to the carbonaceous material, anthracite coal requiring less moisture and a lesser quantity of the binder and augmenting binder, while peat,

or lignite and any combination, being a greater absorbentof moisture than anthracit'ecoal will require a greater amount. These proportions have been found to vary as follows carbonaceous material, 83 to 99 per cent; primary binder, 2 to -7 per cent;

and augmenting binder,- 1} to 10 per cent.

The processof forming the briquet is as.

follows :The carbonaceous material is reduced or comminuted to'thepreferred granule, and according to the amount of moisture desired retained, the same is dried.

After the'necessary desiccation, the first binder is thoroughly mixed to provide a coating around each individual granule of the carbonaceous material, the slight or necessary amount of moisture retained in the material, assisting in the cohesion of the binder. The thus coated granules are now subjected to heat and during such subjection, the second or augmenting binder is thoroughly mixed or commingled with the already coated granules, this augmenting binder forming a second coating about the granules. While the materials are being heated, moisture is supplied by foaming with the mass, or spraying vapor, steam or water, this moisture preventing brittleness i'n'the augmenting binder and a'ssisting the same in providing a' 'slightly pliable im- This double coated-granuled mass is now subjected to pressure in a briqueting machine. and formed into briquets.

The mineralpitch, or augmenting binder acts as a medium to prevent exterior moisture afl'ecting the fuel that tends to cause disintegration, and also being a combustible material supplies any of the deficiencies of volatile matterslostfrom-the carbonaceous material which often being left in the open slakes and from the other causes loses its natural volatile and combustible gases.

As before stated, the first binder is preferably sulfite liquor neutralized by an alkali, and formed into what is known as sulfite pitch. The augmenting binder employed is preferably a mineral pitch, or any one of the following, either singly or 'coinbinedly such for instance as coal tar pitch, common asphaltum pitch, coal and gas tar pitches, and other pltches ofa mineral. nature.

The heat required has been found to range from 50 to 700. degrees Fahiz, depending upon the melting point of the pitch employed.

Regarding the amount of pressure necessary to produce the briqueted fuel, it-has been found that according to the nature of the carbonaceous material, such pressure will vvary from 1,000 to 26,000 pounds to the square inch, the softer more absorbent material requiring the greatest to produce a dense mass.

What is claimed, is a 1. An artificial fuel, composed of comminuted and desiccated carbonaceous material; an inner coating for the granules thereof composed of a tough elastic and adhesive binder; and an outer coating for the granules of an impervious combustible augmenting binder material, the first binder under burning conditions holding the augmenting binder against running.

2. An artificial fuel, composed of comminuted and desiccated carbonaceous material; an inner coating, for the granules,

thereof composed of a coking. adhesive binder; and an outer coating for the granules of an impervious combustible material forming-an augmenting binder and replacing the deficiencies of volatile matters in the carbonaceous material to assist combustion.

3. An artificial fuel, composed of comininuted and desiccated carbonaceous mates rial; an agglutinative impervious and volatile gas supplying binder; and a combustible and coking binder, the latter holding the former binder .againstrunning duringthe burningof'the fuel.

4. An artificial fuel, composed of comminuted and desiccated carbonaceous mate rial; an adhesive binder coating individually the granules thereof; and a mineral pitch forming an outer coating for the granules, the first binder assisting in the coking of the fuel and preventing the running of the pitch during the burningof the fuel.

5. The herein described process of making artificial fuel, consisting in mixing with ,comminuted ,and properly desiccated car,- bon'aceous material, a combustible and coking binder to individually coat the granules of the carbonaceous material; heating and during heating of the mass commingling therewith an impervious adhesive augmenting binder to form a protecting coating for the first coating; and then subjecting the granules to pressure to form briquets.

6. The herein described process of making artificial fuel, consisting in mixing with comminuted and roperly desiccated carbonaceous material an adhesive of a combustible and coking nature to form a binder and a primary coating for the granules of carbonaceous material; heating and moistening the coated granules and simultaneously mixing therewith an augmenting binder of an impervious, coi'nbustible and adhesive nature; and then subjecting the granules to pressure to form briquets.

7. The herein described process of makin artificial fuel, consisting in mixing witii conmiinuted carbonaceous material a neutralized sulfite liquor to, form a primary and coking binder; heating. the same and simultaneously mixing with the mass an imporvious combustible adhesive binder which protects the primary binder from the exterior air and is itself protected against running by the primary binder during the burning of the fuel; and then subjecting the ma terials to pressure to form briquets.

'8. A step in the art of bri noting fuel, consisting in coatin the indivi ual ranulcs of comminuted carbonaceous material with a combustible coking adhesive, and individually coating such coated granules with an impervious combustible augmenting binder and volatile gas supplying agent.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. l v

' BLAKE E. GAMBLE.

Witnessesz. SELINA WILLSON,

, MONROE E. MILLER.

Commissioner of latents. 

